SHOP VISIT : WILKINS AND KENT, THE PICTURE BOX AND SOME AMAZING ZARA HEELS

Bright and colourful bookshelves are some of my favourite things to take photos of 

The last shop visit for this week is Wilkins and Kent and The Picture box. I think these two shops were terrific to photograph, especially Wilkins and Kent because the homewares, books and knick knacks are so good there. So many different things in different colours and styles. A feast for an eclectic lover like me. 

Shelf game very strong here 

I can't help but think about the crazy months that are ahead for me. Four out of five of my days will be occupied besides Friday which might actually be occupied if I score my second internship with a Copy Writing agency ( fingers crossed for the interview next week ). 

It's just insane how quickly your life changes sometimes and how it can be one way this week and literally the next week it's just completely different. I'm not someone who is 'busy'. I feel like people like to complain that they are busy when it actual fact they're showing off about it. I've never been that kind of person and I think too many people take on too much in order to show off about it. What's wrong with living a life of leisure? 

Despite the fact the purple cat cushion doesn't align with the things I usually would buy, I still kind of like it for some weird reason

Wilkins & Kent is really the perfect pit stop for your homewares needs. There are lots of kitchenware, cook books and just pretty things you want to display in your home 

I like shops that don't skimp out on their display. My favourite types of displays are shelves and tables full of things. I don't like minimal displays, I feel like there's not enough to see 

Now I've done a couple of shop visit entries, it's really apparent that the best shops always have good lighting in place. It really is an essential component for any good looking space. I don't have that blessing of good lighting in my current bedroom which is really such a shame. I think good lighting has the power to change everything and really does brighten up the mood instantly. Colours and forms just look naturally good when you have that natural light flooding in. 

Here's my deal with ceramics and pots : I like them and think they look pretty but I get confused between the point where they are used functionally and the point where they are simply for ornamental purposes. How do you differentiate both and can you use an expensive ceramic functionally? Can you display a cheap ceramic ornamentally? It all kind of sounds silly of me, but this really does make me hesitate to buy ceramics. It's literally because I want to use them but I'm not sure it's right to? Of course you can use an expensive jug as a real jug for your kitchen, but is it right to do that when it's so expensive and probably much better off being looked at? Functional objects which are displayed as ornamental items, get me feeling kind of weird!

Such good colour combinations in this floral and fern print. It's really reminiscent of Gucci's aesthetic and vibe ( which really has transformed and changed in and of itself since two or three years back ) 

I haven't been featuring that many paintings as of late, so I thought I'd fill in the pictures and prints side of things by visiting The Picture Box . The Picture Box is actually a framing store but they had so many stunning prints and things in there that I had to pop in and have a look around. I think Framing is really the height of luxury for any decorating lover. It's not cheap, but it adds such a crispness to either the paintings or the prints you have and I definitely think it's a worthwhile investment if you have a piece that you really love and want to share with visitors to your home. 

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You know my obsession with Citrus fruit trees! I love everything about them. I like painting them, seeing them, being near them! It's my dream to have lots of lemon and orange trees in the future. Or maybe just one in my future home as a start! LOL 

Love these explosions of colour, excitement and beauty in this print. I think I'm way more of a maximalist at heart, to tell you the truth - but it doesn't come out in the way I dress 

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Everybody's favourite artist is Yayoi Kusama ( or one of their favourites anyway ) Have you ever experienced an artists work and then said to yourself, " God, I wish I thought of that first? ". I feel that every time I see her work. I'm always struggling to have a more 'mature' and 'grown up' aesthetic but I struggle to because it's hard to rebel against the true you. So when I see that Kusama manages to do childlike, colourful and innocent in a complex, deep and mesmerising way. I admire and feel wonderment at her ability and masterfulness. It shows me that the surface is just that and only that. 

Loving all those colourful and printed mugs over there! 

Such an excellent selection of prints. I love that pink, zebra one especially. And the glass is so shiny on all the frames ✌ ✌

The reflection is pretty distracting here but you can still see the globe light bulbs inside which are pretty great. Lighting is definitely one of my favourite parts about decorating and home accessorising. 

Let's finish off this entry with these FAB heels from Zara! I saw these and literally stopped in my tracks to photograph them. You can see how delighted I am from the reflection of me smiling! Pink and red is such a great colour combo, throw in a super cute lips print and these are just perfect and fun additions to anyones shoe closet! The only thing stopping me from being a full blown shop-o-holic is purchasing things for the sake of their prettiness. If I buy something, then it must be used or worn. But these really are special, aren't they?

Got some really cool posts lined up for next week. What are you guys doing this weekend? The weather has cooled down a lot here in Melbourne which is such a relief to me. Hope you guys have a great weekend and see you all next week

xx

Wilkins & Kent
230 Brunswick St, 

Fitzroy, Victoria 

9419 5251

( They have another branch in the CBD, please visit their website for details ) 

The Picture Box
338 Smith St, 
Collingwood, Victoria
9417 6450 
( They have several other branches in other suburbs, please visit their website for details ) 

FRIDAY BOOK STACK : VITAMIN P3, VOGUE LIVING, MILLERS 20TH CENTURY DESIGN

Liberty Art fabrics, credit goes to Vogue Living Australia Nov/Dec 2016 Issue. Liberty makes the most gorgeous fabrics and textiles. They really are much too good to cut. In fact the spread which I got this from had all their fabrics framed.. good call Vogue 

It's been a jam packed week. You know those weeks where the days just fly? That's been this week. There's been job applications, workshops and shop visits for PFF. I've also managed to work out the oven which has changed the course of cooking dinner for me. I'm even looking up recipes that I make using the oven. I feel like everybody has known how to use ovens forever except for me. I just get anxious at the fact there's this hot box going at 200 degrees in my kitchen?

So here's the round up for Friday Book stack. Can we talk about the stunning-ness of the Liberty fabric just above here? That marbling is crazy. The colours are sending shivers down my spine. Yes, it is that titillating to me, I am that sensitive to colour. 😂  I actually saw some stunning Liberty Fabrics in real life when I went to Tessuti the other day, but that's Monday's post so watch out if you're into fabrics just like me! 

I'm pretty crazy for Carole Schoucair's home in Beirut here. This house is actually a part of a series of homes called " The Houses of Lady Cochrane ". To my interpretation, it's like a block of flats ( although, what a funny way to describe something as extravagant as this ) that is occupied by individual tenants, so it isn't just one, solitary home. The owner of the group of residences is Lady Cochrane herself and she has steadfastly refused all offers of buying out the properties since the 60's to prevent developers from tearing it down to build nasty high rises in its place. The light here is beautiful. I love a room with lots of natural lighting paired with lots of white touches like the sofa here. Rooms with doors that open wide are heaven to me. I like a breeze rushing into the room. 

This home is a great example of good, quiet style. Yes, I am usually a colours, patterns and drama type of person but that definitely does not mean I can't appreciate a simple home like this. On top of that, the decorative objects are classical which I LOVE just as much as MCM ( Mid century modern ). I just feel like it takes a particular type of home to give credit to this type of decorating choice though. It can look ostentatious and assuming if you don't have the right space. 

I love this white fabric couch. It's actually what I would like to have in my ideal home. It gives you a chance to play around with coloured and textured cushions which I just can't stop buying. Although a white couch with white cushions is just as beautiful and unifying to the eye 

This home belongs to designer, Yvan Mispelaere. This is more aligned to my usual taste. I love the blue carpet and the gold lighting. The round table is also super stately and domineering - that's a good thing for dining tables though. 

More stunning Liberty Art Fabrics 

Liberty Art Fabric yet again 

This is Jean Cocteau's home. If you don't know of him, he's a really important and famous artist from France. He's a surrealist and he did all types of work from film to actual drawing. I went through a phase of really liking him and what his work when I was younger and now I see his home, it makes total sense why I got into him in the first place. We all know that peoples decorating tastes reflects the type of person that they are and when I see his home, it really shows his languidness and resistance to rigidity and form. I love that resistance to edges and corners. The movement and drama ( Yes, Yalei we get that these things really inform you! ) and busy-ness that's in this space is a feast for our eyes. 

I love people who have the audacity and boldness to create rooms such as this. It's not a room that was intended out of practicality, but that's why it's so terrific. When we have the opportunity and means to create rooms and spaces not for practical but for decorative or 'claim to life' purposes is when we're operating on a new level of space making.

It's special because not everybody can or want to do it, but when people DO want to do it and CAN do it, that's when we stop and look and listen. It's one of my dreams to have enough money to be able to create rooms that are simply for looking. Yes, I'd totally be one of those women who'd tell you to " not eat or drink " in that room! Now I understand every single one of my friends mothers and aunts. I'm on their level now with the furniture policing! 

Love a fainting couch. Although not sure if this is a classic fainting couch in the background? It has a similar shape though. The zebra skin rug is a nice alternative to the cow skin that we're really used to. I think I actually like the zebra a lot more. It's more dramatic and flashy 

The kind of doctor / dentist office you want to be waiting around in 

Jean Cocteau's bathroom / bath. The tiles are so cute and pretty 

I love that wall mural / wallpaper. Adds such a centered look to the entire room 

More beautiful shots of Jean Cocteau's house. That cabinet is really special. I love the detailing on all the borders, no space is spared! 

Lash those patterns, colours and textures upon each other! 

More photos of Lady Cochrane's houses in Beirut 

I included this home ( owners : Jorge Cruzata, Chris Kapogiannis ) because it's practical. A lot of the homes and spaces I include from Vogue living are beautiful but not entirely common, I mean we don't all live in a chateaux nestled in the woods somewhere in France but this home's layout is something I've seen in real life and also on property websites. Just by looking at this photo, you get ideas about how to decorate a space like this. They've managed to make this apartment ( which could have been pretty average under the direction of someone who didn't have the right vision), into something really great. I think it's all about layering to the point of even clashing to create dimension, which is crucial to not only rooms but also to basically everything in life.

I've grown to see that dimension is the key to having beautiful looking forms. Flat paintings have only ever been good when the Fauvists did it. Other than that, all the most striking, impacting works of art have been painted with hundreds of colours capitalising also on shadowing and hues which adds, you guessed it - dimension. It's the same with clothing too. Layering different textures creates 'life'. When I was teaching myself how to paint, I came across a piece of captivating advice which I've incorporated into different facets of my life which is " The Rule of Three ". Three is the key to creating the perfect amount of life and movement into everything. One stroke on the canvas should be comprised of three colours, a smoothie can't be a good one unless you have atleast three ingredients, have at least three decorative items on a mantel to get it 'right'.

A hark back to my love for Abstract Expressionist paintings. Liberty Art Fabrics - you guys are beyond amazing 

The paintings on the wall of Jean Cocteau's living area is insane. Imagine being able to call this place your home everyday? What a privilege and a novelty 

I'm gonna get personal here for a bit so if you just want to keep scrolling by all means do so : 

Sometimes, I get really emotional experiencing beauty. To maybe even the point of tears. I know, that's so intense! But the reason why is because daily life is really so average, so humdrum and beauty is such a transportation into a sublime, other-worldly place. I think I'm addicted to beauty, to beautiful things because I just cannot stand the boring, drudgery of reality. I want to be in that celestial place every single day. And the people who own and live in these beautiful spaces that I publish really do live in that celestial place everyday. To be surrounded by unique and coveted objects, homes that boast so much life and character - it's beyond a privilege. Beauty is a means of escape into another world and I'll always be invested, interested and into that. 

Christine Streuli, here I am_01, 2016 

The Vitamin Series by Phaidon are usually a real treat for me visually. I have Vitamin P2 which is beyond exciting and gorgeous to look at but unfortunately.... Vitamin P3 just didn't have the same amount of Pizazz that I was expecting it to. Granted, there were some really great things in there but it just didn't hit that Art Spot that I wanted it to. The works selected were all a bit underwhelming and bland. There wasn't the same amount of stimulation that P2 had in abundance. I suppose that's expected when you change editors or members of the board. Here are some of the artists work which I did enjoy though. 

Christine Streuli, Hello Paranoia, 2015-16

Anna Ostoya, Transposition I, 2013

Hugo McCloud, TOP : La Jaula de Oro, 2014, BOTTOM : Too Many Tomorrows, 2014 

Valentina D'amaro, Untitled ( Vespro Series ), 2015

Matt Connors, Private Issue, 2014

Sascha Braunig, Saccades, 2014

Sarah Cain, Love Seat, 2015 

Matt Connors, Four Thousand Twenty, 2015 

Sascha Braunig, La Maitresse, 2015 

Seeing as I am new to the design and decorating world and having had no formal training whatsoever, I decided to get a reference book out to get more learned. This book goes through all the major design eras and showcases key pieces from each era. I like these types of books because they manage to summarise everything succinctly and neatly. Looking through this book was like looking at the stock of every single Furniture IG account that I follow. I also learned where the origins of some very popular furniture pieces came from.

Stunning bleached mahogany sideboard by Tommi Parzinger and Warren Platner lounge chair 

Old Swatches are so rad. I'm always surprised at the range of creative and colourful designs which they have, all of which are from the 80s and 90s

Sleek as hell. Reminds me of the things the Saint Laurent movie would've had which I featured in a post right here

Some really good understated pieces right here by Eileen Gray. I've written her down in my page of designers which I love the work of. Particularly fond of her very famous E-1027 adjustable glass and chrome tables which aren't pictured 

I liked the colours of this tea set. Wouldn't buy it but would definitely enjoy it at somebody else's home, for sure 

The more unique, original and 'weird' a design is, the more expensive it's going to be 

This reminds me of a cinema seat you'd get in 'first class' or something. I like it, I don't think it's bad but it does look a lot like a cinema seat 

How can we flippin' forget right? 😆 😆 😆

If you want to splurge on something that's going to really elevate the vibe of your space, then I think there are two things that are always worth your money. Sofa's and Lighting. Lights are usable art works in my opinion. Scintillating sculpture that not only brings beams of beauty but punches of practicality ( didn't you know I was a writer?? ) 

And if you made it all the way here...

A big WOW and thank you from ME 😃  😄  😃

Publications mentioned :
Vitamin P3 HERE
Millers 20th Century Design HERE 
Vogue Living Australia ( Nov / Dec 2016 Issue and Jul / Aug 2016 Issue )